Machine for sewing comfortables and other fabrics



(No Model.)

F. L. PALMER. v

MACHINE FOR SEWING GOMFORTABLBS AND OTHER FABRICS.

Patented Apr. 10

Wdzeaiy ea N PETERS. Pm Lam -1 m. WJShHYGiGIh o, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Carma.

FRANK L. PALMER, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR SEWING COM-FQRTA'BL ES AND OTHER FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 380,815, dated April 10, 1888.

Application filed July 11, 1887. Serial No. 243,943. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. PALMER, of New London, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Machines for Sewing Comfortables and other Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

Although my invention may be employed in sewing any fabric by means of lines of stitching extending along its opposite edges and lines of quilting throughout its body, the invention is more particularly intended to be used in the making of comfortables from continuous fabrics, the two face fabrics and interposed filling' being supplied in continuous length, sewed along the edges, and then sewed with lines of the fabric.

.In my United States Letters Patent No. 354,806, dated December 21, 1886, I have illus trated a method of uniting the two face fabrics and an interposed filling, and the essential feature of which consists in first sewing the longitudinal edges of' the continuous fabric, while the several parts thereof are unconnected throughout their width, and may therefore be adjusted, one or the other, to bring the filling coincident with the edges of the face fabrics. The machine or apparatus which forms the subject of my present invention may be em ployed in carrying out that method.

In carrying out my present invention I employ an edge-sewing machine, or two edgesewing machines arranged at such distance apart that the needle or needles will be about coincident with the longitudinal edge or edges of the fabric, and each edge-sewing machine has a feeding device which may ordinarily consist of feeding-rolls adapted to grasp the edge portion or portions only of the fabric and move it along beneath the needle or needles, and I also employ a pair of rolls which extend substantially the full width of the fabric in front of or beyond the edge-sewing machine or machines, and which serve to feed the body portion of the fabric forward. I may also employ, in connection with the several parts above referred to, a gang sewing -machine, which may be arranged beyond or in advance of the pair of feed-rolls that extend across the quilting throughout the body of fabric, and which has individual feeding devices, and the edge-sewing machine or machines and the gang sewing-machine, or the feeding devices of said machines, are driven by mechanism independently of each other, whereby provision is afforded for maintaining asurplus of fabric between the machines. For example, the edge-sewing machine or machines may be operated for a considerable time and at a rapid speed to sew the longitudinal edge or edges of a fabric and pile it up in layers or folds, and the gang-machine may be operated to quilt the fabric after its edge or edges are so sewed.

I prefer in my machine to mount two edgesewing machines each upon independent bedplates or base-plates which are adjusted toward each other to adapt them for fabrics of different widths, and the feeding devices for the edge-sewing machines, which may consist of edge-feeding rolls, are mounted on the baseplates of the edge-sewing machines so that the rolls or feeding devices are maintained in proper position relatively to the needles of the edge-sewing machines, notwithstanding the adjustment of such machines toward and from each other.

The invention also consistsin a machine for combining together face fabrics and an interposed filling, comprising the combinatiomwith a gang sewing-machine and its feed-rollers, of feeding devices or rollers behind the gang,

whereby the multiple fabric is carried forward toward the gang,and mechanism,substantially as herein described,wbereby said feed-rollers or devices and the feed rollers or devices of the gang sewing machine may be driven and stopped independently of each other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of sewing machinery embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof upon about the plane indicated by the dotted line 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the machine. Fig. 4 isa sectional elevation, on a larger scale, through the base-plate of one of the edge-sewing machines upon about the plane indicated by the dotted line 31y, Fig. 1, showing the edge-feeding rolls which are employed in connection with that machine; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the edge-feed rolls and appurtenances, also upon a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A A designate the side frames of the machine, whieh may be of metal, and B designates a table or bed,which may be of wood,secured to the side frames, A.

The two edge-sewing machines which I employ each comprise a base-plate, C, on which the arm a of the sewing-machine is mounted, and the base-plates G of these sewing-machines are fitted to brackets A, projecting inward from the side frames, A, and are adjustable toward and from each other, in order to bring their needles into proper position to form the lines of stitching s, which extend lengthwise of the fabric. In the bed or table B are formed openings 1), which'accommodate these edgesewing machines, and the base-plates O of the machines may be dovetailed into the brackets A, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to hold the machines in place.

The edge-sewing machines 0 0 may be adjusted toward and from each other directly by hand, if desired; but I have here represented for the purpose a transverse screw, 0, which is fitted to nuts 0 on the bottom of the base-plate O, and which has its threads of reverse pitch at each end. By means of a wrench or key applied to the end 0 of the screw the edge-sewing machines may be adjusted toward and from each other, and by the screw they are held in proper position after adjustment.

Each edge-sewing machine has a reciprocating needle-bar, c fitted in the head of its arm, and to be operated from a shaft, o on which is a pulley, 0 I have not shown the construction of these machines in detail, as they are simply ordinary single needle sewing-machines.

For feeding the fabric I have arranged upon the base-plate O of each edge-sewing machine a pair of feed-rolls, d d, or, more properly speaking, feed-wheels. The lower wheel, d, is mounted on a shaft, 01 to which positive motion is imparted through a pulley, (i The upper wheel or roll, 01, is on a shaft, (1, and a downward pressure upon the bearings of this upper shaft is exerted by means of weighted levers d or other loaded devices. The feed rolls or wheels d dpreferably have roughened or serrated edges or faces, and consequently when the fabric passes between them the upper roll or wheel is pressed downward with sufficient force to enable the lower and positively-rotated roll or wheel to feed the fabric forward. The shafts d d may be geared together by wheels 8. The bearings of the rollshafts d d are mounted in housings d, which are formed upon or attached to the base-plates O of the edge-sewing machines, and consequently when the edge-sewing machines are adjusted toward and from each other the feedrolls (Z d are adjusted with them and always maintain their proper position relatively to the needle. For driving the sewing-machines and the feed-rolls d d, I have represented a lower shaft, D, upon which are pulleys (1 d By means of a belt, d", motion is imparted from the pulley d to the pulley 0 upon the needle-operating shaft of an edge-sewing ma chine, and by a belt, (1 motion is imparted from a pulley, d, to the pulley d which is upon the lower shaft, d, of the pair of edgefeeding rolls d d. It will be observed that the pairs of rolls d d serve to give proper feed to the edge portions of the fabric past the edge-sewing machines 0, and beyond the edgesewing machines with their edge-feeding rolls I arrange a pair of rolls, E, which extend substantially the full width of the fabric,so as to produce the even feeding of the entire body thereof. In this example of my invention I? designates the other pair of rolls, which are upon the opposite or front side of the needlebar G ofthegang-mach'ine. Ihave only shown an arbitrary illustration of the needle-bar G of the gang sewing-machine, as such machine in itself forms no part of my invention, and any ofthe ordinary or suitable gang sewingmachines may be employed which have a re ciprocating needle-bar carrying a number of needles for forming lines of quilting lengthwise of the fabric. The feed-rolls E F of each pair may be geared together by pinionsff, and the pair E may be driven by a belt, f from the main shaft D, while the pair of rolls F may be rotated by any suitable gearing or a belt (not here shown) passing over apulley, f. The boxes of the upper rolls of each pair E F may be loaded by means of weighted leversf or by other suitable devices, in order to hold the upper rolls down upon the fabric and to produce the forward motion of the fabric by the rotation of the rolls of each pair.

It will be observed that the edge-sewin g machines and the gang sewing-machine are operated by mechanism entirely independent of each other, so that the said machines may be stopped or started at will. It will also be observed that the belt at and the belt which passes over the pulley f are operated independently of each other, and consequently the feed 'of fabric passing through the edgesewing machines or the gang-machine may be arrested as desired, and the surplus of fabric which has passed through one operation may be maintained preparatory to the next sewing operation, and such surplus may be in folds or wrinkles upon the bed B. As best shown in Fig. 3, I have represented the bed B between the edge-sewing machines and the gang-machine G as bowed downward or concave, and upon this bed a surplus of material which has had its edges already sewed by the edge-sewing machines is maintained preparatory to its passage through the gang-machine. Consequently the operators at the edge-sewing machines may discontinue the operation of their IIS jaccnt machine, and the surplus which may be produced by the edge-sewing machines, inasmuch as they may be run far more rapidly than the gang sewing-machine, may be utilized in feeding the gang-machine and effect an improved advantage in the operation.

It will be observed from my drawings that the arrangement of the table or bed Bwith the gang sewing-machine and its feed-rollers at one end and the pair of feed-rollers E at the other end is Very desirable for combining multiple fabrics for comfortables. The two face fabrics and the interposed filling are combined or come together at the roller E, and by these rollers moved forward and maintained in proper position for quilting preparatory to being passed through the gang sewingmachine by the drawing action of the rollers F.

The machine which forms the subject of my present application is more particularly in tended for carrying out the method which is set forth in my Letters Patent No. 354,806, dated DecemberZl, 1886. Although arbitrary representations of edge-sewing machines are illustrated in that patent, it does not appear there that either of these edge-sewing ma- I chines is provided with separate feeding devices adapted to grasp the edge of the fabric only and feed it forward, or, in other words, which perform the work now performed by my small rollers d d.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. The combination, with an edge-sewing machine provided with feeding devices for grasping and feeding along the edge of a fabric, of a gang sewing-machine for quilting and provided with feeding devices operating synchronously therewith, and mechanism, substantially as described, for operating the edgesewing machine and the gangmachine inde pendently of each other, whereby provision is afforded for maintaining a surplus of fabric between the said machines, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an edge-sewing machine provided with feeding devices for grasping and feeding along the edge of a fabric, of a gang sewing-machine for quilting the fabric and provided with feeding devices, and mechanism, substantially as described, for operating the feeding devices of the said machines independently of each other, whereby provision is afforded for stopping and starting at will the feed of the fabric through either machine, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with an edge-sewing machine provided with edge-feeding devices for grasping and feeding along the edge of a fabric, of a pair of feed-rolls in front of or beyond the said machine and extending substantially the full width of the fabric for feeding or moving the body portion of the fabric, substantially as herein described 4. The combination, with an edge-sewing machine and edge feeding rolls therefor adapted to grasp the edge portion only of the fabric, of a pair of rolls extending substantially the full width of the fabric for feeding the body portion thereof, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with two edge-sewing machines for stitching the edges of a fabric and a gang sewing-machine for quilting the fabric throughout its width, of separate feedrolls for each edge-sewing machine, adapted to grasp the edge portion only of the fabric, and a pair of feed-rolls extending substantially the full width of the fabric for feeding the whole fabric-uniformly to the gang sewingmachine, substantially as herein described.

6. The combination, with a bed or table and a pair of feed-rolls for feeding substantially the entire width of the fabric and producing its movement over the bed or table, of two edge-sewing machines mounted on base-plates adjustable toward and from each other and arranged behing the said pair of feed-rolls, and pairs of edge-feeding rolls mounted on the base-plates of the two edge-sewing machines and adjustable with said machines, substantially as herein described.

7. In a sewing-machine for combining together face fabrics and an interposed filling, the combination, with a gang sewing-machine and its feed-rollers,offeeding devices, as rollers E, behind the gang sewing-machine, whereby the multiple fabric is carried forward toward the gang, and mechanism, substantially as de scribed, whereby such feed rollers or devices E and the feed-rollers of the gang-machine may be driven and stopped independently of each other, substantially as herein set forth.

FRANK L. PALMER.

Witnesses:

O. HALL, MINERT LINDnMAN. 

